Troopers cleared in shooting of woman

PALMER — Alaska State Troopers announced Thursday that the two officers who shot a woman outside a local clinic last month acted within the law.

“According to us it’s a done deal for any kind of investigation into the actions of the troopers,” said trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters.

Peters said the investigation into the shooting basically proceeded in three parts. First, troopers with the Alaska Bureau of Investigation took the matter on as they would any homicide investigation.

Once that was done, they handed over a report to the state Department of Law’s Office of Special Prosecutions and Appeals, which is tasked with deciding whether the case warranted criminal proceedings.

“They declined to press charges because they felt, based on all of the evidence, that they acted within the law,” Peters said.

Lastly, the troopers conducted an internal investigation, bringing the two officers before a panel to see if the shooting matched up with their own internal policies.

“They came to an agreement that yes, they did follow department policy and procedures,” Peters said of that panel.

The shooting occurred Feb. 3 outside the Garrett Medical Building on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway. The facility houses numerous medical facilities, including Capstone Family Medicine, where an office manager confirmed shortly afterwards that Debra L. Torrey, 38, of Wasilla, had been seeking counseling.

About 6:30 p.m., her therapist called troopers saying Torrey had became upset, brandished a pistol, and fired a round into the floor of the office. He said she was outside as he called, trying to get back in.

Troopers arrived on scene shortly thereafter. At the time, troopers said Torrey refused to comply with their commands and wouldn’t put down the gun.

Alfred “Skip” Chadwell and Kevin S. Blanchette, both assigned to the troopers’ Palmer post, fired on Torrey, who died at the scene. Blanchette and Chadwell were placed on leave immediately afterward and were the subject of the three-part investigation.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.